Israeli prime minister signs deal to expand West Bank settlements under controversial E1 plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the signing of an agreement on Thursday to expand settlements under the so-called E1 plan aiming to split the occupied West Bank into two parts.

Addressing a press conference in the Ma'ale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem, Netanyahu said he had signed the agreement with the heads of several settlement councils near the city to expand them under the plan.

The project, which envisions the construction of thousands of settler units in Ma'ale Adumim, and surrounding areas, aims to split the West Bank into two parts, severing connections between its northern and southern cities and isolating East Jerusalem.

Palestinians warn that the project is part of Netanyahu's vision for a "Greater Israel," warning that it would entrench the occupation and eliminate the viability of a Palestinian state.

"This place belongs to us. We will safeguard our heritage, our land and our security," Netanyahu said. "Israel's eastern front is not the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, but the Jordan Valley (in the West Bank)."

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal, demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.